Stop Buying Avocados. Here’s How to Grow Them at Home

Avocado is a green fruit that is very popular with most people for its unique taste and soft, delicate flesh. It is included in many recipes, whether as a starter or dessert, and in many sweet or savory sauces. Its appearance can vary, from tender green flesh to black and rough flesh. It is high in calories but contains good fats.

Benefits of Avocado

Avocado is an exotic fruit native to Central and South America. It contains potassium, magnesium, vitamin B5, B6, C, K, E as well as fiber and good fat.

• It is rich in antioxidants and helps fight free radicals which can be a major factor in the onset of cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers.
• It is rich in fiber, which helps prevent colon cancer and increases satiety.
• It is rich in unsaturated fats which are good fats for cardiovascular health.
• It is rich in vitamin B5, also called pantothenic acid which contributes to the optimal use of energy from other foods.
• It is rich in vitamin K, which is necessary for the production of proteins essential for blood clotting.
• It is a source of copper, necessary for the formation of hemoglobin and collagen.
• It contains vitamin B6, essential for the production of red blood cells.
• It contains phosphorus which plays a major role in maintaining bone health
• It is rich in zinc, which is necessary for wound healing, fetal development and the production of genetic material.

In recent years, the price of avocado has increased significantly. It is possible to save more by growing your own avocado tree at home, especially fresh and organic. It is not necessary to have a large space; the avocado tree is a small tree that is easy to grow.

How to Grow an Avocado Tree

Ingredient:

• 1 avocado pit
• 4 toothpicks
• 1 pot

Indications:

• Soak the core in hot water between 35 and 40° for half an hour.
• Clean the avocado pit thoroughly, insert 4 toothpicks into it, spaced equally apart. Then put it in a glass filled with water; the toothpicks should keep the pit half-soaked so that the rounded part remains exposed to the air. Change the water in the glass when it becomes cloudy.
• Place it in a sheltered but warm place until the stem grows and roots become visible. This growth can take 2 to 6 weeks. Wait until more leaves grow and the roots reach 1 or 2 centimeters before planting the pit.

How to plant the core?

In a large plant pot, filled with nutrient-rich soil, place your seed in it, making a small hole in it, making sure that the end of the seed is exposed to the outside.

How to take care of it?

Once the avocado tree is planted, move it to a sunny spot in your home. Water the tree generously and regularly, making sure that the soil remains moist but not saturated. If you notice that the leaves are becoming dry and dark, it is not sufficiently hydrated. Then place your pot in the sink and let the water run into the sink to ensure drainage through the hole in the pot.

On the contrary, if the leaves turn yellow and sag, it means that the tree is overwatered. In this case, you should stop hydrating it for a few days and reduce the amount of water in the future.

You have to be patient before the tree bears fruit. In the meantime, have fun and remember that gardening is the best therapy for anxiety and stress.

Tips for storing avocado:

• If you happen to buy green and underripe avocados, you can ripen them at a good temperature by putting them in a brown paper bag. By adding an apple to the bag, you can speed up the process, since the apple will release ethylene which will help ripen the fruit quickly.
• It is possible to freeze the avocado, by mashing it and adding a teaspoon of lemon juice.
• To prevent the avocado from discoloring, prepare it only when ready to serve or refrigerate it covered with plastic wrap.

Warnings

• Avocado contains a large amount of vitamin K which is necessary for blood clotting. Therefore, people who are taking anticoagulant medication should limit their consumption.
• Some people with latex allergies may also be allergic to avocado since it contains the same compound, hevein, which is thought to be responsible for this allergy.

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